Friday, December 30, 2016

The House of the Eagles, Mexico City

The House of the Eagles, located
in Templo Mayor, was one of the most sacred places in the Mexico City region.
It was here that the Mexica elite held their ceremonies, including meditation,
prayer, penitence, and the rendering of offerings. The building was raised,
then amplified three times between 1430 and 1500 AD. The House of the Eagles
was destroyed during the Conquest and was buried beneath the Church of Santiago
Apostol (Apostle James).

The banquettes built into the
lower part of the walls in this space are made of blocks of stone displaying
beautiful carved bas-reliefs. They are painted in bright colours against a red
background. The scene portrayed on the banquettes is that of a procession of
armed warriors converging in a zacatapayolli, a ball of dried moss or grass
used to hold the bloody spines or spikes used in self-sacrifice.

Ritual activity occurred near the
altars, braziers and sculptures. The chemical analysis of the floors showed
residues of animal and vegetable products, pulque and blood. Furthermore,
ceramic sculptures were recovered in this building during recent excavations,
representing God Mictlantecutli, the God of Death, the Lord of the Underworld,
where the souls of those who died a natural death or old age go.

About Me

I have studied Theology at the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, School of Theology, International Relations at the University of London (Queen Mary). My Master's Thesis was published as a book: 'The Aegean Sea Dispute Between Greece and Turkey - The Consequences for NATO and the EU'. For more information see: http://www.akakia.net/el/the-aegean-sea-dispute-between-greece-and-turkey
I have also studied Byzantine Music in Athens and I am currently undertaking a research on the “Fellowship of St. Alban and St. Sergius and its contribution towards Anglican – Orthodox Relations”, at the University of Winchester.
I also represent the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Thyateira and Great Britain at the A.E.C.A. If you wish to contact me you can email me: demetrifs1@yahoo.com